GBA SHOOTERS

GIANT SQUID · Post by **GIANT SQUID** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 1:40 pm

Alright, wanted to have a GBA shooter thread, see what people have been playin. I am really interested in getting a hold of Steel Empire for the GBA, as well as trying out Darius R. Anybody actually had a chance to play either of these? i REALLY like the megadrive version of Emire, but I heard that the GBA version had some boss changes and some extra chunks of slowdown. Then again, i would actually like to play it for the new bosses too. As for Darius R, i have never seen much about it, but i would like to play it, it looks nice.. ALSO, was R-type 3 really that terrible? i would like to get it just to have it. i have it already for the SNES, but i would like to have anothter shooter on the GBA. it is goin for pretty sheap around here. (like $14) I also ordered Phalanx from the ebay. anyway, post what you guys think of some GBA shooters and even shooters for other portables.

GS!

llabnip · Post by **llabnip** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 1:52 pm

Gradius Galaxies for the GBA is phenomenal. It's not a port of anything so it was built with the GBA in mind and it shows. Probably the best all-around shooter for the GBA.

I also am enjoying Iridion II for the GBA. Not the best, but cool graphics and great sound - it's $10 new at Amazon and probably less elsewhere. Well worth the money, IMO. It's got that 2.5D isometric view going on but that's forgivable.

R-Type III is really bad. Almost unplayably bad. The dark colors and off hit-detection makes this a real pass. One of only 2 shooters I've ever sold off after having played it (I think Heavy Unit was the other).

Some other recommendations - Activision Anthology for the GBA (and PS2) is really cheap (I got a used copy not long ago for $3) and has a few great shooters - Chopper Command, River Raid, Megamania plus lots of other classics. They are old but they are still great! The Namco pack has Galaga and Galaxian - both worthwhile for shooter fans. Konami Arcade Classics has Scramble and Time Pilot which are really fun.

I also still love Solar Striker - the original Gameboy (doesn't even require a GBC!) vertical shooter from Nintendo (their only shooter?!) and it holds up as well today as ever. Nothing spectacular but it is always a blast to play. This may be my favoraite shooter on the system. No wait, Gradius Galaxies is...

Post by **Ghegs** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 2:22 pm

Darius R is boring. Very dull, it was quite easy to clear the game on all routes.

GIANT SQUID · Post by **GIANT SQUID** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 2:41 pm

yeah, i have galaxies, it was really good. I also have both the iridion games and i thought they were pretty good, and that gb game solar striker you were talking about was actually pretty fun. anyone know how i can get steel empire for gba? will it have a us release? i want to buy it but i cna't find it on ebay or play asia. i found it on amazon.uk, but they don't ship here...

sethsez · Post by **sethsez** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 2:48 pm

I have, and love, Darius R. Mind you, it's not a good game, as it's really just the original Darius with less levels and music from every game in the series, but... well, it's portable Darius with music from every game in the series. I'm a Darius whore, so it's great for me, but most people aren't exactly impressed.

I have to second Activision Anthology as well. Though I actually prefer the GBA release to the PS2 one, as the GBA version has some unreleased games, some betas, and best of all, some homebrew titles. As far as documenting where the Atari was, and where it is, the GBA release is definitely superior (although it's missing a couple games from the PS2 version and the commercials, it actually has more games overall and the commercials aren't worth the difference). Anywho, I recommend this because Spider Fighter is my favorite single screen shooter ever.

dessgeega · Post by **dessgeega** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 4:35 pm

llabnip wrote:Konami Arcade Classics has Scramble and Time Pilot which are really fun.

the screen in time pilot is a bit small (the game is pixel-perfect), making it a bit more difficult to play. but still - it's time pilot! worth picking up the cartridge, which goes for pretty cheap.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 5:43 pm

galaxies is great! haven't played it in ages though, a high scoring run in Ninja Five-0 is absorbing a lot of time.

iridion II is really meh. i don't like the weapon system and the hitbox (as it relates to perspective) is kinda wonky.

solar striker sounds amazing though, and i can't wait till i can find a copy. of course on GB as well there are gradius and parodius.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:38 pm

That Konami collection also has a slick port of Gyruss. I guess it's considered a borderliner, but it's very shmuppy and definatly deserves mention.

I also recommend the Activision Anthology. Very good ports of Atari 2600 games with a good amount of shmups.

There's yet another Namco collection coming to GBA soon. This one will have tate and yet another port of Galaga.

I recommend Atari Anniversary Advance GBA for ports of Centipede, Asteroids, and Tempest. Centipede and Tempest even have tate. For some odd reason, Tempest seems to run a bit smoother in tate mode.

I highly recommend Nemesis GB. IMO, it's still one of the best portable shooters out there. It's like a remix of the older Gradius games, though, for the most part, the levels are all new.

Solar Striker is a very fun shump. As simple as they come, but very well designed.

I also recommend Gradius Galaxies. A very well done GBA Gradius, though I personally prefer Nemesis.

dessgeega · Post by **dessgeega** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:59 pm

you know. mercenary force is a pleasantly complex shooter for the classic gameboy.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:16 pm

I've read on here that GBA Steel Empire (forget the Japanese name) looks better and plays faster then the Genesis port, but I've yet to see much visual proof of that.

subcons · Post by **subcons** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:06 am

Here's a thread I made regarding Steel Empire over @ Neo-Geo.com:

Steel Empire / Koutetsu Teikoku (GBA)

I've put quite a bit of time into the game and have to say, other than Galaxies, it's the only other shooter worth owning and keeping for the GBA--for me at least. Presentation is definitely tops. Large, colorful sprites, cool backgrounds/foregrounds, and awesome music for the GBA. I love the ship and enemy designs as well. I'm just a sucker for the old meets new, metal and wood driven by steam-type of stuff. Very Progear. The gameplay is a bit disconnected from the MD original in a way, but it's still very fun to have a go at.

I actually bought my copy from Play-Asia back around April. As you pointed out though, it looks like they no longer carry it. I know someone over on the Neo boards recently snagged one off eBay at a good price (less than what I paid). So I'd imagine that's you're only bet, just to keep an eye out for one to pop up. Good luck, it's a gread little game worth adding to any collection.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:24 am

Thanks for those impressions!

I got on the official website for the game, and I was wondering if this:

http://www.s-f.co.jp/soft/gba/kotetu/gensaku.htm

is some kind of art-book you can purchase?

Shame there's no video of the game on the official website, though.

al138 · Post by **al138** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:47 am

Iridion II is my favorite, although Steel Empire is no slouch.

R-Type III for the GBA should be laid out in a dark alley and shot.

In addition, there is a new title that should be released here in the States in the next few weeks: Sigma Star Saga.

I think it looks pretty interesting. Gameinformer liked it and gave it a positive review (just over an 8 if I remember correctly). I think it will be worth a look at least.

Here is a link if you are interested:

http://www.gamespot.com/gba/rpg/sigmast ... index.html

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 1:23 am

anyone have more info on Mercenary Force?

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 1:43 am

just ordered solar striker. can't wait to give it a try.

subcons · Post by **subcons** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 2:02 am

dave4shmups wrote:Thanks for those impressions!

I got on the official website for the game, and I was wondering if this:

http://www.s-f.co.jp/soft/gba/kotetu/gensaku.htm

is some kind of art-book you can purchase?

Shame there's no video of the game on the official website, though.

Neat link. I've never actually been to the official site. Cool little drawings and schematics in there. I'm not so sure that's an actual item (the book) or if it's just representational of the stuff they have on the site. Can't read it of course.

As for video, yeah, it's a shame there doesn't seem to be any. I can assure you though, it's quite fluidly animated. Explosions are very well done as well. You can get a feel for the whole game by seeing the first boss in action.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 4:35 am

captain ahar wrote:just ordered solar striker. can't wait to give it a try.

You'll love it dude!

It's simple, but great fun!

I also really like SWIV for the GBC-much more reasonable difficulty level then the SNES port. I also llke Aerostar (GB) and Project S-11 (GBC).

OT, Elevator Action EX for the GBC was only released in Europe, but if you can find it, GET IT! I tried it out on a GB/GBC emulator, and it's a pretty close second to Elevator Action Returns, IMO!

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:09 am

dave4shmups wrote:
captain ahar wrote:just ordered solar striker. can't wait to give it a try.
You'll love it dude! It's simple, but great fun!

I also really like SWIV for the GBC-much more reasonable difficulty level then the SNES port. I also llke Aerostar (GB) and Project S-11 (GBC).

OT, Elevator Action EX for the GBC was only released in Europe, but if you can find it, GET IT! I tried it out on a GB/GBC emulator, and it's a pretty close second to Elevator Action Returns, IMO!

Actually, Elevator Action EX was released in the US, but with altered graphics and a different name. It was turned into a Dexter's Labortory game. The GBC versions of Frontline and Pop 'n Pop also got altered for the US. Pop 'n Pop got altered the worst. It was turned into a Yogi Bear game, but unlike the others, it's actually missing stuff from the original (it has less characters than the other versions of the game). Elevator Action EX is actually an updated version of the GB b/w Elevator Action, but with two characters added to it.

GIANT SQUID · Post by **GIANT SQUID** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:23 am

oh crap, speaking of steel empire i just about 1cc'd that sob tonight.. on the genesis of course...so how different it the gba version to the genesis version?

subcons · Post by **subcons** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 10:57 pm

GIANT SQUID wrote:oh crap, speaking of steel empire i just about 1cc'd that sob tonight.. on the genesis of course...so how different it the gba version to the genesis version?

A review by Icelight (?) at GameFAQs: Link

His main gripe with the game is the "butchering of the bosses"... a valid one. I personaly don't have a problem with the bosses. The thing that feels most different to me is the game's pace. The MD Steel Empire had a lot of room to move around in making it feel sort of slow--not a bad thing by any means. With the GBA one space is a lot tighter, mostly due to the larger sprites and less screen, making it feel much more frantic. It feels especially tight on the boss battles as all the bosses/mid-bosses are quite large in size.

highlandcattle · Post by **highlandcattle** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 8:57 am

Anybody liked Burai Fighter. I think that's a borderliner but albeit a very cool one.
SHAMUS on the GBC also a Borderliner but once again an extremly cool one.

Nemesis on th GB rocked too.

I must track down this solar striker

ccovell · Post by **ccovell** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:39 pm

I found Solar Striker to be a bit slow-moving and basic, though it being one of the GB's first games, I can forgive it a bit. It's an alright shooter, but I always much preferred the Nemesis games

Burai Fighter and Battle Unit Zeoth are both fun for a lark. One pseudo-shooter that I like is Trax. Your character is a tank with a rotating turret, and the game has cute and fun graphics. A good one to play through to lift the spirits. Anybody like this one?

Can anybody mention their favourite oldskool GB shmups?

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 4:17 pm

are there any screens/reviews (with pics) of Mercenary Force. it sounds pretty cool from the stuff i have read, but i feel heavily uninformed.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 5:56 pm

Does anyone know what happened with KAISERTAL for GBA? Is this game definitely cancelled and dead now? Anybody know how far development of the game was completed?

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 6:25 pm

Seven Force wrote:Does anyone know what happened with KAISERTAL for GBA? Is this game definitely cancelled and dead now? Anybody know how far development of the game was completed?

It was released in Europe under the name "Invader". I'm not sure how common it is in Germany, but I saw some UK sellers on ebay sell it for pretty cheap.

Burai Fighter actually got a GBC re-release. Oddly enough, it was released in the US under the name "Space Maruader". Why the name was changed is beyond me (especially since the GB b/w version kept the original name), but, as far as I know, the rest of the game is pretty much intact.

dessgeega · Post by **dessgeega** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 6:30 pm

captain ahar wrote:are there any screens/reviews (with pics) of Mercenary Force. it sounds pretty cool from the stuff i have read, but i feel heavily uninformed.

i couldn't find a decent summary and screenshots of the game, so i made my own.

in mercenary force you hire a team of four mercenaries. each has its own firing pattern - for example, the samurai is a dual forward, while the mystic fires vertically. your mercenaries travel in formation - pressing B changes the formation, and pressing select changes the leader.

each mercenary has an individual hit count that goes down when it is hit by an enemy bullet. you can visit stores to purchase healing items with money picked up after destroying enemies. by pressing A and B simultaneously you can transform your leader into its invincible spirit form for a brief time, but this completely extinguishes the leader afterwards.

between stages you can purchase new mercenaries.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 6:30 pm

BrianC wrote:
Seven Force wrote:Does anyone know what happened with KAISERTAL for GBA? Is this game definitely cancelled and dead now? Anybody know how far development of the game was completed?
It was released in Europe under the name "Invader". I'm not sure how common it is in Germany, but I saw some UK sellers on ebay sell it for pretty cheap.

Whoa! Awesome!

Have you played it or heard anything about how it turned out?

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 6:38 pm

Seven Force wrote:
BrianC wrote:
Seven Force wrote:Does anyone know what happened with KAISERTAL for GBA? Is this game definitely cancelled and dead now? Anybody know how far development of the game was completed?
It was released in Europe under the name "Invader". I'm not sure how common it is in Germany, but I saw some UK sellers on ebay sell it for pretty cheap.
Whoa! Awesome!

Have you played it or heard anything about how it turned out?

I "tried it out", but I didn't play much of it. There were mixed opinions here about the game.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 3:50 am

i'll have to try Mercenary Force, that looks pretty cool. thanks so much for the info

Shearie · Post by **Shearie** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 4:25 am

I found a Nemesis cart at a local EB for 5 bucks but I didn't buy it because I never heard of it before. I always thought the only Gradius/Nemesis game that came out for the GB in America was Gradius Intersteller Assault. Do both games play pretty much the same and to the people who have both which one do you prefer?

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